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Description
A Clan Lands Welcome

Darnath and Toza followed Rael through the mystical energies of the Gate Nexus.  When they arrived both of them were awestruck.  Rael turned to them.
"Welcome to the Clan Lands, my home."
Toza came to stand beside Rael on a small rise of glassy rock that was left behind from when the Spirit Font exploded.
"It doesn't look much like a home.  More like a really large beach."
"We still have a small problem Rael."
Rael looked at the body Darnath carried.  Half walking, half sliding, Rael moved to Darnath's side.  Looking into the peaceful face left on Aether's face, she sighed.
"Can you carry him a little while longer?"
"Of course."
"If we can get him to Bright City, he should be fine.  We have people there who should be able to do something for him."
"Hey Rael!  Come look at this really big cloud!"
"Cloud?"
Rael ran back up to where Toza was standing looking out across the desert.  Rael immediately saw what Toza had mistaken for a cloud.
"Darnath, how fast can you run over a long distance?"
"Using the magic of the tattoos, pretty damn fast?"
"Could you say outrun a blizzard in The White?"
"I'm pretty sure I could why?"
"We're going to have to run to Bright City.  There's a sandstorm coming.  Toza, come here."
Grabbing Toza, Rael summoned the magic and started to levitate.
"You're about to run for your life."
Darnath started running after Rael and Toza.  As he moved, his tattoos changed from the dull blue to a fiery red.  Within a split second Darnath went from human to blur as his speed increased dramatically.

Rael had never done what the boys her age had called 'racing the storm'.  The whole point of the game was to run the last mile to the city with a sandstorm gaining behind you.  Of course it was pretty much safe, as the storm would be just beyond the horizon when you started your run.  If any of them had seen Rael and Darnath's frantic journey barely in front of the raging mess of sand and wind, they would have given them any award they wanted to show that they were the best at it.  The two of them moved with every ounce of speed they could muster.  As Rael looked below her to where Darnath ran across the dunes, pretty much at his speed jumping from top to top, she could see where Darnath had thrown Aether over his shoulder, nestled between it and the hilt of his axe.  Rael was interrupted from her worrying when Toza who was small enough to sit on her like a jockey, pulled on her hair to get her attention.
"Head more to the left!  I can see buildings!"
Hoping that Toza was right about the direction, she swooped low to tell Darnath and flew off to the left and into Bright City.  The buildings whizzed past as she and Toza suddenly flew in through a smashed window and rolled across the vacant room.  Rael hoped that Darnath had seen which building she had entered.  No sooner had the two of them gotten up when the sandstorm smashed into the building and broke around them.  Toza ran to the window and laughed in glee as the wind swirled around the building but not through it and damaging them.  Within a matter of minutes it lapsed.  Seeing that it probably wouldn't start again, Toza started looking around while Rael just sat and recuperated.
"What a dump.  Has this building been abandoned or something?"
"Something like that.  Come on Toza and we'll go and find Darnath."
Leaving Toza to follow her, she found the staircase and started the descent down the floors.

Darnath had seen which building Rael and Toza had flown into and had followed them in just as the storm had hit.  Laying Aether down on a poor looking pallet that was lying in the middle of the floor, he quickly pushed some of the broken furniture he found against the doorway, blocking it off so that the sand wouldn't enter.  While the storm buffeted the building, Darnath had a chance to look at Aether.  Placing his hand on Aether's forehead, he pulled it back with a curse.  Aether's temperature had skyrocketed and he was burning up from the inside.  Not knowing what to do, he quickly ripped a piece of material from his pack and drenched it with water.  Placing the cloth on Aether's forehead, he realised something that he had missed before.  Even though Aether was in fact alive, he wasn't breathing.  Darnath sat back on his heels and scratched his head.  Before he could do much more, Toza and Rael entered from a stairwell.  Toza ran over and hugged Darnath.
"Ah, so you made it inside after all!  For a second there I thought we might have to get another giant!"
While Darnath pried Toza off his legs, Rael bent own and looked at Aether.
"He's not awake yet?"
"I don't think he will wake up.  His body's slowly dying as it is and he just doesn't seem to be there himself."
"It's as if he's lost in his own mind."
"Exactly."
As if on cue, there was a rasping as the furniture that Darnath had piled up against the door was pulled outwards the outside.  Immediately on defence, Darnath and Toza crept to either side of the door.  As there became room enough for a person to be pulled through, Darnath reached his hand out and grabbed a handful of cloth.  Pulling quickly he dragged a battered and bruised Ketran through the doorway.  Wasting no time, he threw him onto the ground and pulled out his axe in one fluid motion.
"Darnath! Stop!"
Getting up from where she was, Rael walked over to the Ketran on the floor.  Looking him over, she suddenly realised who it was.  It was Kai.

Description
A Clan Lands Welcome

Darnath and Toza followed Rael through the mystical energies of the Gate Nexus.  When they arrived both of them were awestruck.  Rael turned to them.
"Welcome to the Clan Lands, my home."
Toza came to stand beside Rael on a small rise of glassy rock that was left behind from when the Spirit Font exploded.
"It doesn't look much like a home.  More like a really large beach."
"We still have a small problem Rael."
Rael looked at the body Darnath carried.  Half walking, half sliding, Rael moved to Darnath's side.  Looking into the peaceful face left on Aether's face, she sighed.
"Can you carry him a little while longer?"
"Of course."
"If we can get him to Bright City, he should be fine.  We have people there who should be able to do something for him."
"Hey Rael!  Come look at this really big cloud!"
"Cloud?"
Rael ran back up to where Toza was standing looking out across the desert.  Rael immediately saw what Toza had mistaken for a cloud.
"Darnath, how fast can you run over a long distance?"
"Using the magic of the tattoos, pretty damn fast?"
"Could you say outrun a blizzard in The White?"
"I'm pretty sure I could why?"
"We're going to have to run to Bright City.  There's a sandstorm coming.  Toza, come here."
Grabbing Toza, Rael summoned the magic and started to levitate.
"You're about to run for your life."
Darnath started running after Rael and Toza.  As he moved, his tattoos changed from the dull blue to a fiery red.  Within a split second Darnath went from human to blur as his speed increased dramatically.

Rael had never done what the boys her age had called 'racing the storm'.  The whole point of the game was to run the last mile to the city with a sandstorm gaining behind you.  Of course it was pretty much safe, as the storm would be just beyond the horizon when you started your run.  If any of them had seen Rael and Darnath's frantic journey barely in front of the raging mess of sand and wind, they would have given them any award they wanted to show that they were the best at it.  The two of them moved with every ounce of speed they could muster.  As Rael looked below her to where Darnath ran across the dunes, pretty much at his speed jumping from top to top, she could see where Darnath had thrown Aether over his shoulder, nestled between it and the hilt of his axe.  Rael was interrupted from her worrying when Toza who was small enough to sit on her like a jockey, pulled on her hair to get her attention.
"Head more to the left!  I can see buildings!"
Hoping that Toza was right about the direction, she swooped low to tell Darnath and flew off to the left and into Bright City.  The buildings whizzed past as she and Toza suddenly flew in through a smashed window and rolled across the vacant room.  Rael hoped that Darnath had seen which building she had entered.  No sooner had the two of them gotten up when the sandstorm smashed into the building and broke around them.  Toza ran to the window and laughed in glee as the wind swirled around the building but not through it and damaging them.  Within a matter of minutes it lapsed.  Seeing that it probably wouldn't start again, Toza started looking around while Rael just sat and recuperated.
"What a dump.  Has this building been abandoned or something?"
"Something like that.  Come on Toza and we'll go and find Darnath."
Leaving Toza to follow her, she found the staircase and started the descent down the floors.

Darnath had seen which building Rael and Toza had flown into and had followed them in just as the storm had hit.  Laying Aether down on a poor looking pallet that was lying in the middle of the floor, he quickly pushed some of the broken furniture he found against the doorway, blocking it off so that the sand wouldn't enter.  While the storm buffeted the building, Darnath had a chance to look at Aether.  Placing his hand on Aether's forehead, he pulled it back with a curse.  Aether's temperature had skyrocketed and he was burning up from the inside.  Not knowing what to do, he quickly ripped a piece of material from his pack and drenched it with water.  Placing the cloth on Aether's forehead, he realised something that he had missed before.  Even though Aether was in fact alive, he wasn't breathing.  Darnath sat back on his heels and scratched his head.  Before he could do much more, Toza and Rael entered from a stairwell.  Toza ran over and hugged Darnath.
"Ah, so you made it inside after all!  For a second there I thought we might have to get another giant!"
While Darnath pried Toza off his legs, Rael bent own and looked at Aether.
"He's not awake yet?"
"I don't think he will wake up.  His body's slowly dying as it is and he just doesn't seem to be there himself."
"It's as if he's lost in his own mind."
"Exactly."
As if on cue, there was a rasping as the furniture that Darnath had piled up against the door was pulled outwards the outside.  Immediately on defence, Darnath and Toza crept to either side of the door.  As there became room enough for a person to be pulled through, Darnath reached his hand out and grabbed a handful of cloth.  Pulling quickly he dragged a battered and bruised Ketran through the doorway.  Wasting no time, he threw him onto the ground and pulled out his axe in one fluid motion.
"Darnath! Stop!"
Getting up from where she was, Rael walked over to the Ketran on the floor.  Looking him over, she suddenly realised who it was.  It was Kai.